Find Work as a Dietitian or Nutritionist

The need for qualified individuals to fill nutrition jobs is great, especially in an age where nutrition and health are in the spotlight. Nutrition work opportunities can be found in a variety of venues, but seeking them out may take time and practice.

Many nutrition jobs are not heavily publicized, and in some cases it may be necessary to market yourself and your abilities to find the job you want. These are some tips for increasing your visibility and finding nutrition jobs.

Go directly to the source. There are many job boards on the Internet that allow you to search by job type and region, the problem is many nutrition job postings never make it onto these public websites. Most government-based jobs, academic jobs, nutrition jobs with large corporations and hospital jobs are first posted on the job board of that specific institution. If the job doesn’t get filled then sometimes they are posted on more public sites.

Identify the places in your community that might offer nutrition jobs. These include universities, community colleges, local and state government, food companies, corporate or community fitness centers, supermarkets and healthcare networks. Find their website and then find their job board on the website. Regularly check the postings when you are seeking a nutrition job. If there is an option to sign up for new alerts or updates, make sure you do so. This way you will receive an email when new jobs post or when jobs post which match your area of expertise.

Talk with those you know. Chances are you frequent many places in a week’s time that have nutrition positions within their organization. The spa, yoga studio, your gym, the farmer’s market, health food stores, local meetings and events, doctor’s office, your children’s school and your church are all places where you could discover leads for nutrition jobs. Strike up a conversation with the organizers, instructors, desk staff, cashiers, and other personnel when you visit these places. Ask about how they address nutrition and tell them about your expertise. Even if they aren’t the ones who are doing the hiring, they may know of a position and who you should contact to learn more.

Attend local health events. Most cities, even small towns, offer a variety of health events. These may be mini-conferences, day or evening workshops or trainings and are often offered by hospitals, health departments, cooperative extension offices, schools and community centers.

They may focus on cooking and culinary arts, health and wellness, food safety and security, gardening or weight loss. Get involved with these types of events. You might choose to volunteer your time or simply be an attendee. These events allow you to network with others in your area who work in nutrition. The more people you know and the more who know you are seeking a nutrition job, the better the chance your interactions will result in a lead to follow-up on.

Use social media, blog and write. The Internet is a powerful resource for those working in, or who desire to work in, food and nutrition. Even if you don’t have ambitions to be a nutrition writer, you can increase your visibility and benefit your job search efforts using what the Internet has to offer. Create a Facebook page and connect with those who work in nutrition and health settings. Sign up for Twitter and follow organizations and institutions which may offer nutrition jobs as well as companies and job boards which may send daily notifications about job openings. Start your own blog or website, and use it to market your skills and knowledge about nutrition. Offer to write nutrition articles, reports or brochures for local newspapers, magazines or small businesses.

Even if this does not turn into a full-time job, it will increase your contacts and your visibility in the nutrition field locally, and may lead to a more regional and national exposure. When more people know you and what you do, it increases the chances that a job may find you instead of the other way around.